LTL Language School || Learn Chinese in China

I’ve just completed my first week at LTL Shanghai, and so far I’ve had a really great experience. Everyone at the school has been incredibly welcoming, friendly, and helpful, which made settling in very easy from day one. The classes are well organised, engaging, and adapted to different learning levels. My teachers Jamie and Kristen have been patient, encouraging, and very effective, and I already feel like I’m making progress after just one week. I also really appreciate the positive atmosphere at the school and the support from the staff. So far, I’m very happy with my experience at LTL Shanghai and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn Chinese in a supportive and professional environment.

I stumbled upon this place while visiting Taiwan and decided to spend a couple of weeks working on my Chinese (after getting frustrated that everyone seemed to speak English in and around the hotel I was staying at). It turned out to be a great decision; really welcoming staff (shout out to Greta, Alin and Riona), lots of social activities with friendly students of various ages, levels and backgrounds and an immersive teaching environment, which was absolutely what I needed to give my faltering Chinese a much-needed push. I'm really grateful to both of my teachers, Jessica and Jack, who were both knowledgeable and engaging and were able to adapt my one-to-one time with them to suit my specific language learning needs. I'll definitely pay the Taipei LTL school another visit next time I'm in the country!

In June, I was fortunate enough to spend two weeks in Chengdu attending an intensive Chinese language course at the LTL-School. Having previously lived in China for two and a half years, I wanted to refresh and improve my Chinese skills. LTL’s promise of an immersive learning experience, combined with the option of staying with a Chinese host family, immediately caught my attention. Organization Everything went very smoothly from start to finish. My initial contact with the school was excellent, and the staff were always patient and helpful when answering my questions. Airport pickup was well organized and completely hassle-free. While it would have been nice to receive the host family’s contact details and address a little earlier, this ultimately turned out not to be an issue at all. Homestay I stayed with a wonderful host who stopped by every day to prepare breakfast and dinner. She made me feel incredibly welcome from the very beginning, and I had plenty of opportunities to chat with her. She was very patient, and I really appreciated having someone to practice my Chinese with outside of the classroom. At the same time, I enjoyed having my own room and bathroom, which gave me enough privacy to relax and recharge after classes. Location I absolutely loved Chengdu. I know China quite well and have visited many major cities, but Chengdu ranks very high on my list. This is largely due to my overwhelmingly positive experiences with the local people. Everyone I met was warm, welcoming, and genuinely interested in talking to me. Whenever locals realized that I could hold a conversation in Chinese, they were delighted and often eager to chat. Being surrounded by people who are willing to engage with you in Chinese is incredibly motivating and helps build confidence. One thing I would highly recommend is taking your study materials to one of Chengdu’s many teahouses after class. Immersing yourself in the city’s tea culture while reviewing what you have learned creates a unique and enjoyable learning environment—and I genuinely believe it helps. The Chengdu School My language course was very intensive. I booked two weeks of one-on-one lessons, four hours per day. In addition, I spent at least two hours each evening reviewing material and preparing for the next day’s lessons. It was demanding, but that was exactly what I was looking for. If you truly want to improve, there is no substitute for consistent study and actively using what you learn. One minor challenge was the schedule. Occasionally, I had afternoon classes that finished at 6 p.m., followed by lessons starting between 8 and 9 a.m. the next morning. On those occasions, I sometimes felt a bit rushed when preparing for the following day. However, this was only a small issue and did not significantly affect my overall experience. During my stay, I had three different teachers, each with their own teaching style, which I found refreshing. Most of my lessons were with LTL-Teacher Michael, who did an excellent job (foto below). He has a deep understanding of Chinese grammar, language learning, and Chinese culture. We had many interesting discussions, and his enthusiasm made the four hours of daily lessons pass surprisingly quickly. Conclusion If you are looking for a welcoming and immersive environment to improve your Chinese, I can highly recommend LTL Chengdu. The combination of dedicated teachers, a supportive homestay experience, and the friendly atmosphere of Chengdu creates an excellent setting for language learning.